Pakistani officer missing in plane crash in Turkey

İZMİR – Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

As search and rescue efforts continue to try to locate an Air Force training aircraft that crashed into the Aegean Sea in the western province of İzmir on Jan. 16, the identities of the two missing pilots onboard have come to light. 

Reports indicate that Pakistani Maj. Masood Hussain Chhachhar was onboard the plane to provide flight training to Turkish Lt. Serkan Sağır, 23, an officer from the eastern province of Erzincan who had recently graduated. 

Chhachhar was training Sağır as part of a military exchange program between Turkey and Pakistan, according to reports.

Officials believe the T-37C training aircraft is located 130 meters below sea level, according to İzmir Gov. Cahit Kıraç. 

The plane reportedly crashed two miles off the coast of Arslanburnu in İzmir’s Foça district, although search and rescue teams were yet to reach both the remnants of the aircraft and the two missing pilots. 
Search and rescue efforts were set to continue throughout today, according to reports.